Category Results

Tag Results

Author Melanie Tesoriero Results

Boost your street appeal

Want to wow your neighbours, visitors or potential buyers? Invest a little time and money out front to make your home look like a dream.

No matter how carefully you style your interior, first impressions count. And that’s why renovating the front of your home can make a difference to its value, as well as avoiding potential safety and maintenance issues like broken lights, cracked walls and gutters full of leaves.

Whether you’re preparing to sell or just want your home to reflect how much you love it, here are six ways to make your home the star of the street.

Clear, clean and repair

Clearing the clutter that accumulates around the house is the first step to a stunning exterior. Either throw it away or find a spot for it in the garage. Once you’ve cleared the decks, scrub walls, clear leaves and cobwebs and weed and repair cracks in the paths and driveway.

Colour and finish

There are lots of areas where you can add style with a fresh coat of paint or change of colour. If tired old bricks or roof surfaces are letting you down, spraying them a different colour can bring your home right up to date. Or keep it simple and easy with a bright coat of paint for your front door. And if your garage door is looking tatty, look at resurfacing or replacing it.

Lighting and furniture

Get an electrician to replace broken or dated light fittings with something simple and contemporary. And if you have a verandah or balcony at the front, arranging a few well chosen outdoor furniture items will add a touch of luxury and comfort.

Landscaping and planting

Landscaping should be practical as well as visually appealing. Retaining walls or built-in planters give beds and lawns a nice crisp border. And stepping-stones or planks across the grass mark the path to your front door and break up the space.

Potted plants are a great design feature but don’t get carried away. Overcrowding your front landscape with any kind of planting will make it seem cluttered. So if you’re not keen on pruning or weeding, hire a gardener to keep your front hedges, beds and lawn well groomed.

Little (or big) details

Adding an oversized house number, upgrading your letterbox or a new doormat in a cheerful pattern are all details that can add style without breaking the bank.

Strata support

If you live in an apartment, adding window boxes or potted plants may be all you can do for your street appeal. Get to know your strata manager and test the waters to see if upgrades to the front of the building are on their agenda. But if non-essential maintenance work isn’t included in the strata budget or agreement, you may not get very far. If extra funds are available, it may be worth talking to people in your building and reaching an agreement on some changes you’d all like to see in how your entrance presents to the street.

About Melanie Tesoriero

Melanie is the Content Marketing Specialist at Aussie. A lover of the outdoors, she’s spent a lot of time abroad, trying to satisfy her never-ending case of wanderlust. Satisfied with exploring her own backyard for the moment, Melanie enjoys weekend adventures around Oz. You won’t find her far from her mobile unless she’s at the gym or sleeping.

Outdoor space is highly prized by home buyers, but there’s no need to spend a fortune on professional landscaping. Our seven simple projects can add value to your lifestyle – and your home.
Don’t underestimate

With residential property prices rising across our capital cities, it’s no surprise that we’re also seeing a rise in construction loans as savvy home owners and buyers look for a cheaper alternative to buying and